The High School Reunion From Hell - Saranna DeWylde Page 0,8

If you would have looked at your invitation, you’d see it’s going to be at that all-inclusive convention hotel. The one with the city inside? The roller coaster? There are going to be so many activities.”

“That’s not how to sell me.” It sounded perfectly horrible.

“I heard Brooke is a vampire,” she added.

“Great. The girl who made my life hell in high school has ascended to ultimate undead power. Why is this a good thing?”

Cornflake sighed heavily. “So you can stake her? Duh.”

“I don’t just go around staking people, Cornflake.” I did, however, drink tequila before noon and I needed more of it. I walked over to my liquor cabinet and did exactly nothing to hide what I was pouring into my water bottle. “I need a reason beyond fangs to kill someone.”

“Well, I won’t tell anyone.”

“Right. Cuz it’s for the good of the community.” Lila Jean pointed slyly to Cornflake. Then to her finger where her wedding band was suspiciously absent. She then proceeded to make a circle with her fingers on her left hand, and used her first finger on her right to push through that circle, making the universal pantomime for fucking.

I knew exactly what Lila Jean was telling me. “Cornflake, I’m not going to slay Bitchy Brooke just because she had an affair with your husband.”

“Why not?” She pouted. “I thought we were friends.”

I didn’t know what to make of that. Any of it. It was better to just put it away and not think about it ever again.

“What if the murderer is there?” Cornflake added. “I mean, it’s probably Brooke.”

“This should be good.” I took a swig of my refilled tequila. “Why do you think it’s Brooke? I need a reason that doesn’t involve her sleeping with your husband.”

Strange as it was, I actually felt bad for Cornflake. She had also made my life hell in school—she’d been part of Bitchy Brooke’s pack, but Brooke was someone who always got what she wanted, no matter what she had to do to get it. To be on the other end of that had to be painful. Not that Marc had cheated on me, he’d never do that, but I knew what it was like to lose the person I thought was my forever.

“Gimme a minute,” Cornflake said, tapping her manicured nails on the counter.

“You don’t have one,” Lila Jean answered.

“Exactly.” Ready to send Cornflake packing, I opened the French doors, pleased to see Vlad had abandoned his eye-stalking for another nap. On the brink of waking him, I paused.

Maybe I should?

We had two bodies and a signet ring, and a tattoo. One of those bodies had come after my family. Whoever had sent that guy after Marc would know soon enough he’d failed. He’d try again. Marc had said he was going to the reunion, and I’d be able to keep an eye on him.

Plus, it felt really good to be on the hunt again. To do something besides watching Netflix and day drinking.

I didn’t want to see those people. I saw enough of them when I went to the grocery store. What was the point in getting painted up to see them in Kansas City at the indoor hotel city or whatever?

Something twisted in my gut, a sense that told me I needed to go. Only, I didn’t know if that was my slayer senses telling me something was afoot, or my broken heart telling me I needed to be there because I not-so-secretly wanted to stalk my ex.

“Okay, Presley, I’ll—”

Vlad popped up from the chair like a monstrous prairie dog and his head swiveled toward the door. He let out a mighty howl and launched himself toward the door.

That could only mean one thing.

Ryder.

He loved her as much as he loved me.

The door opened just in time to keep him from crashing straight through it and Ryder was already on her knees with her arms open. He planted sloppy, red kisses all over her face.

“That’s not sanitary,” Cornflake objected.

“Neither is tossing your husband’s salad, Presley, but here we are.”

“Oh my Gawd, LJ. I told you that in confidence.” She blushed.

The visual was suddenly emblazoned in my mind’s eye and I’m not one to kink shame—to each their own—but that didn’t mean I wanted to envision it. I’d known Dallas as long as I’d known Presley, and his “O” face was not something I ever wanted to consider.

“It’s nothing Mama M hasn’t heard before, amiright?” Ryder wiggled her brows. “Plus, you gotta understand, this guy holds